For grades 7-12. Groups of students will compose a collage of alcohol ads and caption them according to what they believe the "real message" is. They will explain their collage and caption rationale to the class. Discussion will follow the presentations as to the targeted age group and messages the media attempts to portray.
Students will then redo their captions with alcohol facts mentioned in the video, but not intimated in the advertising.

Homework the night before the project will be for each student to bring in at least 4 alcohol print ads.

Introduce the PBS In the Mix video "Alcohol: What You Don't Know" by instructing students to take notes and pay particular attention to targets of alcohol advertising, the messages and techniques that are used. They are also to pay close attention to all facts about alcohol use and abuse. Explain that this information will be used in the project they will complete after viewing the video.

Show the video.

Following the video, students will get into groups by partnering with someone whose first name begins with the same first initial as theirs. The instructor will assign each couple a number. Each couple must find another couple. Odd number couples must pair with an odd number couples and even numbers with even numbers to form groups of four.

Instruct students to complete a collage of their alcohol ads and to caption their ads with what they believe to be the "real message" portrayed.

Ask students to then show their collage and explain the rationale for their captioning to the class.

A volunteer student recorder then asks each group to count how many people in their ads involve people over 25 and/or unattractive people.

Lead a discussion about how young people are the real targets and why:

Why would alcohol distributors want to target young people as consumers?

What recurring themes and images do you see in alcohol advertising? Why would these appeal to young people?

What are some of the differences in advertising for various types of alcohol (i.e. wine, beer, liquor, wine coolers, etc.)

Which ads in these collages are more effective than others? Why would you choose one product over another based on its ads?

Which TV, radio, and print alcohol advertising campaigns do you remember best, perhaps even talk about the most? What elements contribute to this (e.g. humor, celebrities, music, or characters)?

Pass out copies of the Alcohol Fact Sheet. Ask students to add new captions to their collage ads in which they cite a fact about alcohol and which advertisers have chosen to omit.

Ask students to present their posters again to the class and explain the captions. Display all the posters in the classroom.

Student collages could be displayed throughout the school or community, particularly during an Alcohol Awareness Week.

Students could present their collages as part of a program for younger students in schools in their area.

A speaker specializing in marketing and advertising techniques could address the class, giving students the opportunity to ask questions. The speaker could also address the ads the students used in their collages.

About the Author:
Judy Terando has taught Physical Education and Health since 1965, focusing on bringing
technology into the classroom and spurring student creativity. She currently teaches high school
in La Salle, IL.